Hinge joint



l(. W. GOODR'IDGE.

HINGE JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. G, |921.

F@ i. m92. ,Fagan www...

l". MM JIM'- V1@ II?? mlm. H a

INVENoR lo G/BERTN Gamm/DGE BV W qv-Q-*W rw`w- Mm UNTED STATES PTENT OFFICE.

GILBERT W. GOODRIVDGE, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRYANT ELECTRIC COMPANY, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT.

HINGE JOINT.

AppIication led December 6, 1921.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GILBERT 7. GOOD- nmcn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hinge Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hinge joints, and especially to hinge joints in face plates for electrical fittings. The object of my invention is to provide, first, a hinge joint lying in the plane of the face plate; second, to form the joint elements entirely from the metal of the plate. While these objects may be accomplished in various ways, a single specificembodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the face plate of a flush receptacle in which my invention is embodied in one form;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section therethrough Fig. 3 is a plan View of a plate from which the door has been blanked;

F ig. 4 is a similar view showing the door in position ready for completion of the hinge joint;

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are, respectively, sections on the lines 5 5, Fig. 3; 6-*6, Fig. 4 and 7 7, Fig. l; and

Fig. 8 is a plan View of the door blanked from the plate shown in Fig. 3.

While the present form of joint may be used to advantage in various structures, I have illustrated it in connection with a Vface plate for a tiush receptacle of a type well known in electrical-wiring devices. Inasmuch as the invention relates to the door hinge in the face plate, the receptacle proper has not been illustrated, but it will be understood that the face plate 1() is of the type commonly employed to overlie a receptacle, not only to impart a finish to the installation, but to protect the equipment against the entry of dust, etc. The face plate is pierced by an opening 11 normally closed by the door 12 as usual, and held in position by securing -screws passing through the countersunk holes 13 at opposite ends of the face plate. The door 12 is ordinarily supported on the face plate by a hinge effected by hinge pins secured on the inner face of the door, and swivelling in sockets secured to the innei` face Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented muy a, i922.

Serial No. 520,242.

of the plate. The hinge joint is therefore not in the plane of the plate, but below the latter. Inasmuch as the joint is commonly arranged at one end of the door opening, thc door ilnpinges against the adjacent edge of the latter, and when open is stopped in a position slightly past that at right angles to the plane of the plate. This renders the insertion of a plug into the receptacle more or less inconvenient, since the fingers are apt to be impeded by the open door as the plug is rotated to screw into the receptacle. Moreover, the hinge parts must be secured not only to the butt of the door, but also to the plate by means of rivets, or the like, which may be of a metal slightly differing in color from that of the door and face plate, and thus mar the appearance of the plate.

y According to the present invention. the hinge is located directly in the plane of thc plate, so that the door swings open much further than is ordinarily possible in standard constructions. The elements which constitute the joint are formed of the metal of the plate itself, thus insuring uniformity of color at all points. The construction furthermore eliminates certain forming operations and additional metal parts which have hitherto added to the expense of manufacture.

In the particular form here shown the door 12 (Fig. 8) is blanked from the plate 1() by suitable punch die. It is provided at one end with a hinge butt 14 from the opposite edges of which project hinge lugs 15. As struck from the plate these lugs are rectangular. Before the hinge oint is completed, however. the lugs are subjected to a suitable forming operation to round their corners until the lugs present a substantially circular cross sect-ion, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7.

Following the removal of the door 12 from the plate 10, the latter is subjected to the action of suitable dies to form the portion of the plate on opposite sides of the slots 16 from which the hinge lugs 15 have been punched, into outstanding wings 17, as shown in Fig. 6. When the rounded hinge lugs 15 have been re-positioned in the slots 1G, the wings 17 are pressed over the lugs from opposite sides, thus encircling the hinge lugs 15 and securely retaining the same and forming a bearing therefor on which the door is freely swung.

l prefer to perform the rounding opera` tion upon the lugs l5 by some instrumentality which will simultaneously reduce the diameter of the lugs to such an extent that when the wings 17 are formed around the lugs (Fig. 7) the normal thickness of the plate will be maintained at the joint. li' the lugs have been slightly lengtliened in this op` eration, they can be readily cut to such length that they are freely accommodated kin the slots 16.

wWhile no gieat mechanical strength is demanded of a hinge joint for devices of this character, I have found that the present joint liassubstantially as much strength Vas that 'of the ordinary face plate hinge. The appearance of the plate is improved. The operations of manufacture are readily el'lected by machines of Well known type. The necessity for additional metal elements is eliminated, and the location of the joint is such that the door niay be opened to a more convenient extent than has hitherto been possible.

Various modiiications in details will readily occur to those dealing with the problem, Without departing from what I claim as my invention. For example, the lugs l5 may be formed as projections from the opposite sides of the door butt opening in the tace plate, and the slot 16 may be formed in the door butt. In this case the swaged lugs 17 would be formed in the metal in the door butt. Obviously the saine type of hinge is obtained by this reverse arrangement et the parts as in the construction above described. v

l. A hinge joint comprising a plate, a door struck therefrom, and hinge means uniting said door and plate, said hinge means comprising integral Alugsnon one' of Y,said members and Vcooperating recessesV in the other of said members in which said lugs are receivedv and journalled substantially in the plane of the plate. j.

2. A hinge joint comprising aplate, a door struck therefrom, and hinge means uniting said door and plate, said hinge means comprising integral lugs on oneof said menibers and cooperating recesses in the other of said members in which said lugs are received and journalled substantially in the plane oit' the plate, said lugs being oi' substantially circular cioss section.

` 3. A hinge joint comprising a plate, a door struck therefrom, and hinge means uniting said door and plate, said lhinge means comprising integral lugs on one of said members and cooperating recesses in the other of said members in which said lugs are received and journalled substantially lin the plane of the plate, together Witli'iiieans integral With the Y recessed member for detaining the lugs.

' at. A hinge joint .comprising an apertured plate, a door for said aperture, and'selfcontained interengagiiig hinge elements integral Witli said door and plate for liinging the door to the plate substantially in the plane of the latter. v Y

ln testimony wliereotl l have signed my name to this specii'ication. f

GILBERT W. GOODRDGE. 

